Potter and Evans

Comfort

'Lily, I know 'yer want ter' be the one ter' take Marlene 'ere to the hospital wing, but 'yer can't carry her. Sirius, you go, 'an I'm gon' need James and Lily to walk up 'ter the castle and get back 'ter y' dorms.'

'But I cant just leave her-'

'Now, Lily, she's in good hands yer' know. Quickly, Sirius, you get Marlene, I'll go ahead and inform Madame Pomfrey.'

Without skipping a beat, Hagrid strode off, and wordlessly, Sirius emotionlessly put Marlene over his shoulders and followed at a jog. James and Lily slowly began walking.

'She's going to be alright, Lils, honestly, the stuff Madame Pomfrey has got me and Sirius out of - that woman has a gift for healing people. She didn't look hurt either - we were just talking and then she was on the floor - I don't understand what happened really. She couldn't have been cursed because there's no one here but us.' James tried to reassure Lily, though he wasn't entirely sure he was telling the truth about Marlene being okay. 'Has she been alright today?'

Lily didn't answer. She was visibly shaking - either from the cold, or from the shock, but most likely both. As they walked, she subtly took steps closer to James, desperate for the comfort of another person - of anyone. Her eyes flooded with tears and she tried to look away and wipe them before James noticed. She felt sick to her stomach with no knowledge of what her best friend was going through. Her eyes were locked on the ground and she felt James' eyes repeatedly flash over to her. They were so close now that their hands kept brushing, but neither moved away.

'Do you want to talk about it or..?'

In response, Lily involuntarily gave up trying to stop the tears from gushing from her eyes; she had always been a crier, but always hated people seeing her vulnerable like this - even from a young age when Petunia would make fun of her for crying when she hit her or broke one of her toys - plus she was already enough of a target at Hogwarts for being muggleborn. If any of Voldemort's followers saw her like this...she didn't even want to think about what could happen to her. James and Sirius were two of the only purebloods in the school that weren't prejudice.

This wasn't really a situation Lily would be crying in normally. She would have gone with Sirius despite Hagrid's orders - but she felt that something was off. Something wasn't right.

James didn't have think about what he was doing. His mother and father had always taught him to not be afraid of emotions - that it was okay to cry - it was okay to be sad and hurt and confused. In times when James had felt like this, his mother would hug him: she would allow him to sob into her shoulder, stroking his hair and telling him it was all going to be alright: that all pain the temporary.

Pain is temporary.

James had heard himself say that line to a small first year Sirius who had cried to him on his first night at Hogwarts after he had been sorted into Gryffindor and had received a belittling letter from his parents telling him that he should be ashamed and to 'just wait till he got home for the holidays'.

James had heard himself say the same words to a second year Remus after a particularly bad full moon had ended with him in the hospital wing in incredible pain and unable to attend his classes for a week

James had heard himself say the phrase to a distraught Peter after a Slytherin had snuck up to him alone in the corridors and hexed him.

He had heard himself say those words countless times, to countless people, and now, to Lily.

Not even noticing he was acting, James' arms tightly embraced Lily. 'She's going to be okay Lils. I promise. All pain is temporary.'

'Y...you d...don't know...that.' Lily stumbled out between sobs, shaking more with each word.

It was true, he didn't know that, and he was not one for making promises that he couldn't keep.

James removed his right arm that was wrapped around Lily, and first used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear on her face, then tucked his forefinger underneath her chin, his thumb settling to run slow, comforting circles on her cheek. He carefully lifted her face to meet his, forcing her green eyes to meet his hazel eyes and he spoke seriously and softly.

'You're right, I don't - but what I do know is that you are one of strongest people I know and I know - I know that whatever happens to Marlene - and not just Marlene - I know that whatever happens in your life, no matter how bad, you can get through it...' he stopped running circles on her cheek and instead held his thumb secure, 'and I'm always going to be here for you to talk to - good or bad days it doesn't matter. I can promise you that.'

Still gazing into his eyes, Lily spoke, 'I'm not no...normally like...this' she gestured to her tears and sniffed, 'I'm sorry...t...to dump all of this on you...I don't-'

'It's okay, Lily.' James said with a light smile, 'It's okay.'

When she made to kiss him, James didn't expect it and he pulled back - but it wasn't the surprise that made him to do (maybe it was a little). It was the fact that that wasn't who James was; he wasn't the sort of person to take advantage of someone vulnerable. Of a vulnerable Lily trying to kiss him because she was hurting and she confused and she didn't know what she wanted.

But that didn't mean he still didn't want her.

a/n i think it's quite cute? idk...but ughshshs though i want them to kiss as much as the rest of you but they don't know each yet and they're not even flirting yet but it's k i l l i n g me because i have so many cute scenes planned but they don't fit in yet :(